"We will be open for business as usual throughout the construction process. We will continue to work closely with emergency medical professionals to ensure that they are alerted about anything that might affect their interactions with us, such as traffic detours," said Eric Dickson, M.D., medical director of the Emergency Treatment Center and professor and head of the Department of Emergency Medicine.

The $30 million project will include:

• Early phases--building a temporary parking area, relocating utilities and constructing a larger permanent parking area.
• Middle phases--moving the entrance, and building the upper and lower levels of the new ETC area.
• Final phases--staff will move into the new ETC area. Workers will then renovate the current facility.

Completion of the project is scheduled for 2009.

The expansion and renovation effort will:

• Modernize the facility, enabling the staff to provide family-centered care
• Help patients and families access the ETC more easily
• Enhance patient care and privacy and provide a comfortable environment for families
• Increase available parking

The new ETC will feature wider hallways (10 feet compared to the current eight feet), 33 private treatment rooms and designated areas for fast-track and pediatric patients. The design will upgrade security, place the sickest patients close to physicians and speed the admissions process.

The Emergency Treatment Center and Level I Trauma Center reported 31,626 visits from patients last year; 1,003 of those patients arrived via the AirCare helicopter service. Projections show that the number of emergency room visits will rise to 45,000 in coming years.

"When it's all said and done, we will be better positioned to meet the needs of those we serve," said Dickson. "We are committed to making our Emergency Treatment Center one of the finest in the nation."

For more information:

Emergency Treatment Center

Department of Emergency Medicine

Eric Dickson, M.D.